Abstract
Following the commencement of operation of the Hallett Hill Wind Farm (HHWF) in South Australia, a complaint was received from a resident suggesting that tonal noise may be audible under specific wind speeds and directions. This communication outlines the tonality assessment method that was developed to identify the conditions under which audible tones occurred at the residence. Measurements at both the residence and a turbine were taken to assess tonal audibility based on IEC 61400-11 but over a much larger range of wind speeds and directions. This lead to the detection of an audible tone at 124 Hz occurring at night and during upwind conditions, corresponding to the conditions identified in the complaint. The tone related to the gear meshing frequency of the turbines and tuned mass dampers were subsequently installed to mitigate the tone emissions. Further tonality testing was undertaken which demonstrated that the tone was rectified for all measurement periods.
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